It was the second straight win over a ranked opponent for the Bears (20-6,
11-5 Pacific 10 Conference), who have yet to be ranked themselves this season.
Ryan Forehan-Kelly added 14 points, A.J. Diggs had 12 and Solomon Hughes 10 for
the Bears, who are seeking their first conference title since 1959-60.

They are tied for second with Arizona and Southern California, one half-game
behind Oregon, which played Saturday night. California is the only team among
the top six in the conference that hasn't been ranked.

"None of that stuff matters," Gates said. "Who cares where we are now?
What matters is where we finish."

The 6-foot-7 forward entered with 11 straight double-doubles. He scored 27
in a 92-91 home overtime loss to Cal on Jan. 24. Errick Craven and Brandon
Granville each had 12 points for the Southern California, which is seeking its
first conference title since 1985.

"They played some tough defense," Clancy said. "They switched up a lot
and presented me with some tough matchups. It's a tough game and Cal just
played great."

Gates and Forehan-Kelly might have been motivated because it was their last
home game, and the two were honored before it. Gates said the Bears probably
play more as team because they aren't ranked, instead relying on balance and a
defense that allows just 63.9 points per game.

Joe Shipp, the team's leading scorer, played just 15 minutes Saturday and
scored eight points.

"It's really a different guy stepping up every night," Gates said. "If we
had one of the top 10 scorers in the nation we'd probably be ranked. But we're
a team. And in the end, that's more important than being ranked."

Said Cal coach Ben Braun: "It would be nice to be recognized, but truly
nothing replaces the feeling of winning. We just look inward for our
recognition. Perception isn't so important."

Gates had missed four games with partially torn ligaments in his right wrist
before returning Thursday. He helped make up for the loss of starting point
guard Shantay Legans, who sustained a concussion in Thursday's win over UCLA.

Diggs, a sophomore walk-on, replaced Legans in the starting lineup and
matched his career high. Jamal Sampson, a freshman from Mater Dei High in
Southern California, also had a big game with 10 rebounds and four blocks.

"He played me better than anyone else this year," Clancy said.

Cal outscored USC 44-12 in the paint while completing a series sweep. The
Bears also scored 18 points off turnovers to just eight for the Trojans, who
normally excel in that department.

"We didn't make easy shots," Bibby said. "We tried to (make shots)
ourselves individually, not as a team. Cal played well and wanted it more than
we did."

A dunk by Shipp capped a 12-0 run that gave the Bears their biggest lead,
36-24 with 3:55 left in the first half. Amit Tamir, who scored 57 points in his
last two home games, turned into a playmaker for Cal, recording a career-high
seven assists.

His last of the first half was a no-look bounce pass to Shipp along the
baseline for a dunk. Tamir had just five points, but no turnovers.

"Amit showed me the stat sheet after the game and pointed to his assists
and turnovers," Braun said. "Most guys would have been down because they
didn't score much. That's what kind of team we have. We have a lot of unselfish
guys who just play hard."

The Trojans had trouble getting Clancy, who came in averaging 21.5 points,
any looks. He had just two points on eight shots through the first 16:30. The
Trojans, who made 10 of their first 16 shots, missed 14 straight during a
scoreless streak that lasted 8:27.

Cal increased its lead to 42-28, but Clancy drilled a 3-pointer at the
buzzer, making it 42-31 at halftime.